Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King, now streaming on Netflix, displays the blockbuster actor’s talent in a small, heartfelt drama. The film is a unique-hidden gem in Wahlberg’s filmography, and one of his best performances ever.
Arthur the King tells the true story of Mikael Lindnord, a Swedish athlete who befriended a stray dog while in the midst of an Adventure Racing World Championship in Ecuador. The injured pup joined Lindnord and his team throughout the 430-mile race, crossing the finish line with his new owner. Lindnord wrote several books on the experience, including Arthur: the Dog Who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home, which inspired the Lionsgate film.
Directed by Simon Cellan Jones, Arthur the King makes a few key changes to the true story. The film’s race is set in the Dominican Republic, and the Swedish athlete is made American. Wahlberg plays the American version of Lindnord. While the actor reliably impresses in the film’s high-action moments, he is particularly compelling in his gentle dynamic with the titular dog.
Despite generally positive critical reviews, including a 6/10 from Screen Rant and a 71% on Rotten Tomatoes, Arthur the King underperformed at the box office. After a theatrical stumble, the heartwarming film has finally found its audience on streaming.
Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur The King Is A Netflix Hit
While Wahlberg’s film did not draw crowds to theaters, audiences who saw it loved it. At the time of its release, the movie was competing against blockbusters such as Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two. As such, Arthur The King grossed just $25 million at the domestic box office and $40.8 million worldwide. Still, the under seen film earned a stellar 97% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.
With a knack for melting hearts, the sweet feature was destined for steaming success. As of August 16, Arthur the King was the sixth most watched movie on Netflix, with 4.1 million views and 7.4 million viewing hours (Via Tudum). The PG-13 film is the perfect feel-good watch for a family movie night. The endurance race provides plenty of enthralling action while Wahlberg and Arthur’s dynamic provides emotional depth.
Mark Wahlberg Plays Against Type in Arthur The King
Arthur The King features Wahlberg at his best. The actor is known for his high-action and high-comedy genre films such as Ted (2012) and Uncharted (2022). He often plays to the top of a character, delivering an aptly exaggerated tough-guy or goofy caricature. In Arthur The King, Wahlberg displays a more earnest side to his versatility.
While the adventure sports film still has plenty of action, Wahlberg’s best work comes out in those quiet moments of heartfelt emotion. In a particularly touching scene, Wahlberg’s Lindnord bestows the scrappy dog with the name Arthur. The actor’s performance was so emotionally affecting that it brought the real-life Lindnord to tears. Wahlberg beautifully sells the athlete’s deep love and care for the stray dog in a career-topping performance.
Mark Wahlberg Should Make More Movies Like Arthur The King
Wahlberg’s touching and highly-reviewed performance in Arthur The King proves that the actor should be making more mid-budget dramas. Costing a reported $19 million to produce, this film is much smaller in scale than the actor’s standard blockbusters. Uncharted, for example, cost over $100 million and featured more action than heart.
While his usual ventures are reliably entertaining, it is refreshing to see Wahlberg perform in an unexpected and less formulaic feature. His big-budget blockbusters are thrilling, but their pure scale can distract from the individual acting. Arthur the King is a slice of life story about one man’s connection with a stray dog. Wahlberg’s versatility has room to shine in this scaled-back movie.
The actor is back to blockbuster genre flicks, with the R-rated thriller By Any Means and comedy Balls Up arriving this year. However, one can only hope that more small-scale slice-of-life films are in Wahlberg’s future. Arthur the King is a worthwhile watch for all viewers, and a must-see for Wahlberg fans.